Attenuation of Oil Pollution as Observed by VES Monitoring Program

Oil pollution is known to be among the environmental problems which cause long – term negative effects on soil and underground water.

Crude oil can be framed into light-non-aqueous-phase-liquids class (LNAPL), having a density lower than the water. Its mixture with water can be achieved in special conditions of temperature and pressure. When oil products reach the ground water, three pollution phases results:

- Separated Hydrocarbons Phase (PSH) – forms a layer or lenses of hydrocarbons, floating on the top of water

-Dissolved Phase Hydrocarbons (PDH) – resulted from hydrocarbons soluble fractions

-Volatile Phase Hydrocarbons (PVH) – resulted from oil volatile compounds

Standard analyses for monitoring an oil contaminated area consist in measuring the volatile compounds and hydrocarbons soluble fractions. As such a monitoring program requires financial effort, a less expensive and faster monitoring program was tested. By using noninvasive electrical resistivity investigation method repeated at a interval of 5 months, attenuation of oil polluted area could be observed. Electrical resistivity results were confronted with BTEX and HC results from water probes, showing good applicability of VES in investigation oil-pollution environmental problems.